Article Review from FOSS4G Open Source Conference
Utilizing Open Data for Energy Access Planning in Tanzania
Researchers Cader, Pelz, Radu, and Blechinger utilized open source data to bridge gaps in data availability challenges in energy planning in Tanzania. Data is crucial for decision making and infrastructure development: it is essential to understand the extent of current electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure, as well as the locations of underserved areas with a demand for energy. The team at Reiner Lemoine Institut gGmbH in Berlin, Germany utilized High Resolution Settlement Layer (HRSL) – a raster dataset that derives human settlements from satellite imagery – paired with Open Street Maps and existing datasets for Tanzania to create a base data set for energy planning. By performing distance calculations in GIS to the nearest major population center with grid infrastructure, they created shapefiles for on-grid and off-grid settlements in Tanzania.
These estimations are still rudimentary, as not all settlements located in a grid area are guaranteed to have energy access, and access to decentralized energy infrastructure is becoming increasingly accessible. Yet, with the high accuracy of the HRSL, this team created an interactive web-mapping tool they added to OSM. The layers, showing administrative – population and electricity access level information – along with grid infrastructure and distance to the grid information were processed using two online software packages, and are now openly available to a variety of stakeholders. This information, made possible through open datasets, is helpful for both private sector developers, governmental organizations and rural energy access planners in identification of priority settlements for electrification efforts and grid expansion.